


Turning Point

by triggerfics



Series: The Ties That Bind [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Gen, Platonic Relationships, Trans Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Trans Male Character, Transitioning, Young Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), but the dynamics arent SUPER relevant 2 the story, kenny still is not an asshole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-05
Updated: 2016-10-05
Packaged: 2018-08-19 18:29:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8220694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/triggerfics/pseuds/triggerfics
Summary: It isn't the first time Kenny wished that his sister was still here to help him raise this kid.





	

**Author's Note:**

> this fic deals with levi transitioning? 
> 
> also heads up this is part of a levixkenny series but this fic doesnt actually involve any of the ship

Kenny liked to consider himself an observant man, despite the rude and crass nature he had, he did pay attention. So at the age of 11, when Levi was able to prowl the streets at night as Kenny did, able to swindle money from anyone she tried, began to grimace at any feminine word slung her way; Kenny noticed.

 

He noticed the way she grit her teeth together when he yelled to 'pick up the pace, girly.' saw the way her face flinched into disgust when the bar maidens told her how much of a 'fine young woman' she was turning out to be. Brat and kid were fine, she responded as positively to those as she always had, it was specifically female things that made her brow furrow into hatred. He did not know why.

 

Kuchel and himself had raised her to know that woman were just as strong as men, Levi demonstrated it herself with every man she brought crying to their knees. Alphas, betas, the occasional other omega, nothing stopped her from moving. Except, for the shudder of disgust every time she was called a 'young lady'.

 

At first it seemed to be simple discomfort, as an alpha he could pick up on the waves of displeasure her scent gave off where betas could not. It made her unhappy but he still couldn't understand why.

 

It only got worse from there.

 

She bit back growls every time someone mentioned how lucky someone was going to be when she was older to have a wife as pretty as her. She hated when bar maids commented on her hair, telling her how lucky she was to have something as nice and pretty as that. Her resentment only grew at that, though it was obvious she felt bad in private. She didn't want to react like that to the people who had only treated her with kindness, yet the reaction was instantaneous and couldn't be stopped.

 

Kenny had long stopped using feminine titles for her by the time her 12th birthday rolled around, but still that wasn't enough for the growing teen. With time her resentment got worse, but now, Kenny noticed, she wasn't just balling her hands into a fist with titles, but with pronouns as well. He noticed when she bit her lip to silence herself when she was called a 'she', noticed the way she flinched every time a 'her' was used in reference to herself.

 

He tried to avoid referring to her like that whenever she was around.

 

It boiled over one night close to her 13th birthday. Kenny had come home from... 'work', and immediately caught the violent scent of fear, disgust, and hatred wafting throughout the house. He frowned. There were no marks of intruders, no strange scents that would signify someone coming in to hurt Levi. So he had to go forward, moving through the small house to stand in front of the closed bathroom door.

 

It smelled like pure misery in there, sounded like it too, if the occasional sobs he heard were anything to go by. Fuck. He had never been good at comforting people, and not for the first time, he cursed the fact that Kuchel was gone, that he was raising her daughter at all. His sister was good at comforting people, was good with kids too, before she had Levi even.

 

She was small and happy and lit up the room with her smile. It was hell, raising Levi, because the damn kid looked so much like her. Same nose, same eyes, same long straight hair. It isn't fair to Levi, he knows that, but there's nothing he can do to stop himself from seeing his sister in his niece.

 

God willing, he won't take Levi from him too.

 

Putting this off will only make this worse, taking a deep breath to prepare himself for the teenage problems he was about to witness, he slowly pulled his hand up, knocking on the door. Instantly the room is silent, sobs no longer enacting from it as Levi froze, nails digging hard into the counter.

 

_'Kuchel give me strength.'_

 

"Hey... you alright in there, brat? Having trouble taking a shit?"

 

Levi didn't respond, for with an eye-roll nor a sarcastic comment, and Kenny knows something is very, very wrong.

 

"Can I come in or do you need privacy right now?"

 

_His mind a steady chorus of 'No, no. God, Kuchel, why. Help.'_

 

It is silent between them for a few, tense moments, with Kenny’s hand hesitantly lingering on the doorknob to the bathroom, ready to force himself inside should need be. His mind is running wild with possibilities, each situation worse than the last as he tries to figure out _what_ could have happened to make Levi hole herself up in the bathroom like she had.

 

Yet no answer came to him, Levi had been exactly the same as she always was when Kenny had left earlier, there was no indication as to what could have upset her so much, except… an already existing problem.

 

He works quickly, mind fitting the pieces together, Levi’s hatred of feminine titles, her growing resentment towards what pronouns were used for her- them… he? Kenny once again wishes that Kuchel were with him right now, she’d have been able to calm Levi down with just a few words, and… _they_ would have been able to tell Kuchel everything and not have to rely on their shitty uncle to decipher what was going on.

 

He wonders now, if this is the first time Levi has cornered themself to cry, and he pales. If this isn’t the first time… than he’s even shittier of a guardian than he thought. Swallowing the knot in his threat, he gripped the doorknob tighter. Kuchel is going to murder him. He doesn’t know how, but she is going to find a way to kill him from the grave.

 

“Levi? C’mon brat I need an answer, can I come in?”

 

Nicknames were good, they were normal. They might help. He can hear the sound of Levi’s shuddering breath through the door, pressing his ear up against it to pick up on anything else.

 

Levi goes to speak, hesitating after the first syllable, their voice is rough, shaky.

 

“Sure.”

 

Kenny gives them a moment after the ‘sure’, giving them time to prepare themself before slowly opening up the door, immediately caught off guard by what he sees.

 

For one, there are strands of hair decorating the counter and the sink, cut off- some chunks even ripped out, scissors still held firmly in Levi’s shaking hand. Their hair is a mess, uneven and short, cut up as far as they could reach in what looks like an impulse decision. Levi does not unusually make impulsive decisions.

 

Internally, despite the situation, Kenny mourns the hair decorating the floor, he mourns another piece of his sister that he’s lost. But this is not about his sister, this is about Levi. Carefully stepping further into the room and moving behind them, he keeps his eye on the bathroom mirror, taking note of the fearful grimace on Levi’s face, resolutely staring down into the sink.

 

Their body trembles as Kenny manages to loosen the iron-like grip Levi has on the scissors, pulling them away from them before they seriously hurt themself.  He keeps the scissors in his hand, surveying the damage Levi had done to their hair, there is not much Kenny will be able to do with his limited skills to fix it. He’s a serial killer, not a hairdresser.

 

“Shit, kid, what wild animal did you let loose on your hair?”

 

He can see the corners of Levi’s lips twitch into a small smile. Kenny isn’t mad at him, he isn’t going to throw him out. They can talk later.

 

Kenny steps away from them then, grabbing the stool kept in the corner of the room before kicking it over for Levi to sit down. They do, albeit slowly, hesitantly pulling away from the counter, seemingly hyper-aware of the mess they had made suddenly.

 

Kenny pays no mind to it, getting his razor and putting a different guard on. The back of their hair is a lost cause, it had the most chunks ripped out from what he can see so far. “Tilt your head forward.” Is all he says, waiting as Levi does just that before setting to work on making something out of this mess.

 

It takes time, and careful work, if there is one thing he will say about himself is that he is good with his hands, years of killing have taught him where to cut and how to cut to get the results he wanted. Hair isn’t that different from people, he guesses. He shaves the back down, mindful of Levi’s skin, not wanting to hurt them.

 

Again he is thankful that Levi has never been the type of child to fidget and twist around, they are quiet and still, letting Kenny work, watching black stands flitter to the floor, ignoring the itch where certain strands had fallen against his skin.

 

It takes longer still before Kenny moves around to sit in front of Levi, snipping at his bangs. Setting the scissors down momentarily, to gently pull down two different bits of Levi’s bangs, checking to make sure they were an even length before grabbing the scissors again and stepping back to survey his work.

 

It looked even everywhere he looked, and although Kenny would miss the length of their hair, this is better for Levi, he will adjust. It may be good for Kenny too, to not see his sister with every movement they make. They will both heal from this.

 

Pride swells in his chest, an undercut fit Levi well, and as Levi ran their fingers through their hair they seemed happier as well, rubbing at the shaved bit in the back with wonder.

 

They will not talk about this like other people do, words have never been either of their strong suit. They will adjust silently and quickly, fixing their routine and switching some things around into a better order.

 

But now it is late, and Levi seems hungry, having not eaten since much earlier in the day. Kenny still isn’t quite sure where they stand, the waters will need to be tested and evidently, Kenny’s in a mood to swim.

 

Levi is still silent, watching him with a focused gaze, one that Kenny had instilled into them to have when you don’t know what someone’s going to do. They are waiting, and they will hang onto every word Kenny says right now. What he says has to mean something.

 

Levi stands slowly, looking up towards him, eyes not leaving his face. Kenny sighs in faux exhausting, watching Levi’s eyes widen in the corner of his eyes as he looks away.

 

“What am I gonna tell them when we get to the bar? ‘I walked in and he had let a damn badger run rampant on his hair’? Y’know how much trouble you’re gettin’ me in kid?”

 

_He._

 

Levi smiles, trailing after Kenny as he heads out of the bathroom, making sure Levi is close behind me as they leave the house, heading towards the usual place. His nephew is gonna give those poor waitresses heart attacks once they see his hair.

 

Kenny grins at the thought.

 

They will be fine.


End file.
